A Conservative Alternative School: The A+ School in Cupertino. Fastback Series, No. 67.

Pursell, William

When parents in Cupertino, California, became dissatisfied with the nontraditional, unstructured education offered in their district's elementary schools, they created the Academics-Plus alternative program. This account of the history of the 3-year-old A+ alternative school is written by one of its original promoters. The elementary level A+ program is a back-to-basics program, utilizing traditional curriculum that emphasizes reading, writing, and other language skills, in addition to math, history, and other standard subjects. The classroom environment is structured, with one teacher in charge of a mixed-abilities group of students. Student conduct and appearance are more stringently controlled than in nontraditional classrooms. Although the program has received strong support from parents and endorsement from the school board, it has encountered criticism and resistance from some teachers and administrators who regard the alternative program as an insult to their professional performance. However, the program's proponents believe that its conventional, basic education approach is only one style of education, not necessarily appropriate for all students, and that the district should continue to offer more than one educational alternative. (DS)